SPARKS 2013 Conference

University of Washington--Foege Auditorium, Health Sciences Building (Genome Building)

SPARKS 2013 Conference

Theme: The Social Marketing SPARKS 2013 Conference covered new ideas and innovations in social marketing in the fields of safety, health and the environment with engaging presentations.

Speakers:

Moderator Dave Ross, KIRO Radio

Nancy Lee, Social Marketing Services Inc.

“Words Just Aren’t Enough!”

Words alone rarely change behaviors. If they did, no one would smoke, text while driving or let their child go to sleep without reading them a bedtime story. Nancy’s talk focused on products (from around the world) that were exactly what was needed to help the target audience adopt a desired behavior.

Marty Riemer, The Marty Riemer Show andMichael Stusser, Freelance writer and game inventor

“Finding Balance in the Digital Era”

New research shows that multitasking has significant impacts on cognitive capability. Marty and Michael brought this issue to light and demonstrated how the Tech Timeout program used social marketing strategies to get teens to unplug.

Debi Besser, Washington Traffic Safety Commission

“Reducing Traffic Deaths to Zero”

Target Zero is an AUDACIOUS goal… the idea that we can eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030. Debi shared how they used social marketing strategies to convince many in the traffic safety community that this goal can be achieved. Now she needs to convince the public as well. Debi showed how behavioral norms as well as road and safety improvements are being used to change the behaviors that contribute most to traffic deaths.

Shannon Murphy, Washington Conservation Voters

“How the Environmental Community Said No to Coal Trains in Washington”

What can social marketers learn from political campaigns? A lot. Shannon showed how polling, data interpretation, target audience segmentation and carefully architected message development helped political campaigns win. Shannon shared the story of how the environmental community succeeded in winning four Whatcom County council seats for officials that had the power to stop coal exports from traveling through Washington state.

A viral campaign without Twitter and Facebook! Impossible… right? In 1997 the Southard Sisters along with the American Cancer Society launched a breast cancer awareness campaign, The Bra Show, that used “art action” and “guerilla theater” within a community catalyst—taking this issue not only to the streets of Seattle, but nationally and internationally as well. The sisters shared how they gained trust from their target audience and steps they would have taken today with social media as a tool.

Julie Colehour and Bryan Cohen, Colehour + Cohen

“Old Consumer Brain vs. New Consumer Brain”

The way consumers receive and process information has gone through a seismic shift over the past decade. Social marketers will be challenged to re-think how they implement their social marketing campaigns to take advantage of this shift.

Zach Hyder, Quinn Thomas Public Affairs

“Millennials, Politics and the New Economics of Social Change”

Get ready. Change is coming. This next generation sees “public service,” politics and social governance as obstacles to avoid. They don’t want to just change this model. They want it destroyed and rebuilt. Zach shared how “social change” marketing must shed its traditional methods as we reinvent the norms in government, philanthropy, advocacy, volunteerism and entrepreneurship.

Carrie McNally, Seattle Police Department

“Lessons Learned from Seattle Gun Buy-back Program”

Seattle launched their gun buy-back program in early 2013. Carrie broke down the good, the bad and the ugly from a social marketing perspective. The lessons learned can help any social marketer tackling a difficult issue.

Bill Toliver, The Matale Line

“From Gandhi to Google: The Difference between Marketing and Movement Building”

The question we have to ask ourselves is what could change if we re-framed how to best use media in a truly social context? Asking people not to think as little as possible, but to think as deeply as possible about their values and beliefs. Asking them not to act impulsively, but with deep conviction and long-term commitment. Bill shared what this revolutionary reclaiming of media looks like, and how it can translate into effective, movement building efforts around the world.

Dave Ward, Puget Sound Partnership

“The Power of Positive Problem Analysis”

If you don’t know where you’re going, will any road get you there? Dave tackled one of the most common mistakes in social marketing – the failure to define 1) what you want from your target audience, and 2) the measurable objectives you are trying to achieve. This presentation was not a how-to talk. Rather, through a series of real-life examples, Dave walked us down a path toward a different concept of problem analysis.

Ruth Bell, Cascadia Consulting Group

“Building Trust to Change Behavior”

How does social marketing apply to complex behavior changes involving multiple decision points and requiring long-term customer commitments? Ruth will use whole-home energy efficiency examples to show how building trust is a critical component to changing behaviors that require significant investments and multiple decisions over time.

Mike Osberg, Linksbridge LLC

“Small Organizations and Big Data: Using Data to Tell Your Story”

How can small organizations use data that only big organizations typically have the ability to utilize and access? Mike focused on how (and why) small organizations can and should leverage data to tell their story. He shared how an advocacy organization recognized this, wanted to tell their story, and made it happen.